Human Physiology, Volume 1, By Luigi Luciani, published by Macmillan and Company, 1911, page 422.
“The name tidal air is given to the volume of air which enters and leaves the pulmonary air passages during a normal inspiration and expiration. It can be measured by a well calibrated and graduated glass bell, which Hutchinson (1860) termed a spirometer (Fig. 187). A properly constructed gasometer, which offers minimal resistance to the passage of air can be substituted.”
From “The respiratory mechanism in pneumonia”, by Newburgh LH, Means JH, Porter WT, The Journal of Experimental Medicine, Volume 24, page 583, 1916. The spirometer is a Krogh type.
“A portion of the apparatus employed is shown in Text-Fig. 1. The tracheal canulla of the animal in which the respiratory reaction was to be measured was joined to a rubber tube placed between two Tissot valves connected in such a way that the animal breathed into a spirometer and out of a bottle connected in turn with the spirometer, so that the lungs, the spirometer, the bottle and the connecting tubes formed a closed system. Evidently by this arrangement the volume of air passing into and out of the chest was recorded by the spirometer, while the carbon dioxide exhaled by the animal constantly accumulated in the closed system. Samples of the air thus enriched with carbon dioxide were withdrawn at frequent intervals by the mercury tubes shown in Text-fig. 1. As each sample was taken, a mark was made on the spirometer record (the electric time-signal is not shown in Text-fig. 1). As the carbon dioxide in the respired air increased, the spirometer curve became deeper, until the maximum was reached.”
From: Respiration Calorimeters for studying the respiratory exchange and energy transformations of man, by Frances G. Benedict and Thorne M. Carpenter, Published by the Carnegie Institute of Washington, 1910, page 5.
From: Respiration Calorimeters for studying the respiratory exchange and energy transformations of man, by Frances G. Benedict and Thorne M. Carpenter, Published by the Carnegie Institute of Washington, 1910, page 5.
From The Gaseous metabolism of Infants by F. G. Benedict and F. B. Talbot, page 43. Used as a “tension equalizer” in an infant version of Benedict’s Universal Respiration Apparatus. Manufacturer was not named.
Intended for experiments with small animals or in venous occlusion plethysmography, the bellows are approximately 3 cm long. It was usually referred to as a recording tambour.
Found in A Text-book of Pharmacology and Some Allied Sciences: (therapeutics, Materia Medica, Pharmacy, Prescription-writing, Toxicology, Etc.), Together with Outlines for Laboratory Work; Solubility and Dose Tables, Etc, by Torald Hermann Sollman, published by W.B. Saunders, 1913, page 815.
“Recording Tambours: The cheapest form consists of a home-made organ-bellow (fig. 113), the sides of very thin leather or gold-beaters skin. A 3 or 4 cm Marey’s tambour answers well. The 3 cm Brodie Bellows (Made by C.F. Palmer, 6 Upper Tulso Hill, London, N.W.) is the most delicate. All bear a straw and a writing point about 6 inches long.”
From Espirometria en tuberculose, by A J P Vilela, published 1910, page 79.
Galante developed this spirometer in the mid-1870’s.
From Espirometria en tuberculose, by A J P Vilela, published 1910, page 72.
Over 60 years after it was invented it was still the gold standard for spirometers around the world.
Found on the Boerhaave Museum of the Netherlands website. Inventory Number V19429. Attributed to E. Zimmerman. Height 46 cm, width 20 cm, depth 25 cm. A somewhat unusual design since there appears to be 2 taps underneath the spirometer. How they connect to the interior of the spirometer and how they were used is unclear. The museum places it between 1900 and 1925 and it is likely from around 1910 since that is the time E. Zimmerman was known to be constructing spirometers.
Found on the Boerhaave Museum of the Netherlands website. Inventory number V22461. Manufacturer is unknown. Its height was given as 27 cm and diameter as 31 cm. The website says it was from 1900-1925. Given the style of the spirometer I would guess it’s closer to 1900 than 1925.